Food and drug product liability is a common dispute and cause of mediation, making food and drug mediation a growing area of alternative dispute resolution. The reason for the increase in attention is an increase in the number of people who are affected, particularly by prescription drugs. In fact, seven out of ten Americans take a prescription drug and 20 percent take at least five different prescribed medications, according to a recent study released in the journal Mayo Clinic Proceedings.

In addition to assisting in resolving issues of product safety and manufacturer’s negligence, food and drug mediators can assist consumers who have been injured by food and drug consumption. The law provides stipulations for remedies if a consumer experiences life-threatening, or health-related, problems associated with negligence on the part of the manufacturer, and food and drug mediation can be a cost-effective, time-saving method of pursuing those legal remedies.

Food and drug manufacturers and distributors are required by law to test product safety before releasing it on the market. If there are any risks involved with consumption or use of the product, the law requires that warning labels be clearly placed on the product. Both the manufacturer and the distributor can be held liable for damage caused if this step is not carried out.

Here are some of the most common reasons consumers might need food and drug mediation:

Design Defects – The manufacturer is responsible for reasonably ensuring that the risk of injury to consumers is as low as possible. If there is a defect in the design of a product that hampers this, the manufacturer could be held legally responsible for compensation of damages.

Marketing Defects – If the manufacturer fails to provide inadequate instructions or warnings about the product’s risks, they can be held liable for any damages the product causes.

Manufacturing Defects – If a mistake occurs in design and that mistake causes harm to the consumer, the manufacturer could be held legally responsible.